


An Unexpected Bounty

by Cephy



Category: Last Remnant
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-25
Updated: 2010-10-25
Packaged: 2017-10-12 21:29:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/129276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cephy/pseuds/Cephy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(AU) The young lord David goes searching for a Remnant to make his city stronger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unexpected Bounty

The entrance to the Sacred Lands was little more than a crack in the ground. It widened further in, of course, and was barred by a pair of massive gates left over from long-ago ages, but from the surface it gave no indication of being anything more than just another shadow in the barren crags. David hesitated for only a moment before leading his entourage in the descent, glancing one last time into the surrounding hills for any sign that they were being followed.

For a place with such an ostentatious name, there certainly wasn't much that could be termed _sacred_ about it. The downward path, even beyond the gates, was a mess of tumbled rocks and narrow passages, of dark caves broken only by the few ancient flameless lamps that still glowed. There were only hints of ruins throughout that told of a much greater glory long gone.

And yet somewhere deep within, according to legend, was a powerful creature locked away, a Remnant beyond any other the world had seen. If myth could be believed, no one had ever tamed it-- some said that no one ever _could_.  David was fairly certain that his Generals thought him mad to try, for all that they had supported his decision nonetheless. But there were rumours of unrest in Elysion, and his father's health continued to decay, and Celapaleis was tightening its hold more with every day that passed. Athlum needed more power than Kellendros alone could provide, and if that power could be found below these stones then he could hardly sit back and let the possibility pass him by.

He had two troupes of soldiers in addition to Torgal, who had refused to be left behind, and he hoped that would be enough to see them the full distance. The inhabitants of the caves were not completely unfamiliar-- the pale, long-fanged spiders weren't unlike those at Blackdale, and the vicious, horned lizards must be relatives of those of the Ivory Peaks. They were harder to kill, though, more resistant to magics, and there were other creatures among them, as well: floating spirits that vanished at will; strange golems that rose up from the very ground under one's feet. By the time the last daylight had vanished behind them, they were to a man on edge, walking gingerly and already nursing their wounds.

By the time they paused to rest in a smaller cavern off the main path, many hours later, they had suffered two casualties. Settled with his back to the rough stone wall, David fixed the names of the fallen in his mind and his heart for when they returned to the city.

They slept in short shifts, laying themselves down only long enough to take the edge from their weariness before moving out again. They travelled ever downward, their path lit by the ruddy lamps they had pried from the walls.

Time was near impossible to track in the tunnels, away from the natural clocks of sun and stars. It was an unknown time later, therefore, that they came around a corner into a larger cavern, and found in the center of it the form of a mitra. David half thought it a statue at first: a young man sitting on part of a broken pillar, head cradled forlornly in his hands. It took Torgal rumbling a low warning and the young man himself lifting his head before David realized that the form was flesh and not stone.

"Who's there?" the young man called, squinting against the faint glare of their lamps. He started as David's men fell into a defensive formation around him, and the motion scraped a sharp sound from the stone beneath their feet.

"I should be asking you the same," David called, hearing the echoes of his voice fading far above his head.

The young man blinked towards them, face gone slack with shock-- and then he smiled. "Oh, man, you have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that. I thought you were more of those monsters come back to finish the job." He took a few steps towards them, as if drawn to the light; the rasp of one of Torgal's blades drawing from its sheath made him pause again.

"Identify yourself," David demanded.

"Name's Rush," the young man replied, uncertainly. "Rush Sykes."

"And how did you come to be in this place, Rush Sykes?" It was entirely possible that young man was an enemy, perhaps a representative of another city trying to claim the Remnant for himself-- although for whatever reason, David was hesitant to believe that. Rush was poorly equipped for the caverns, and alone, and far too genuinely pleased at their presence. If he was covering some ulterior motive with false naivety, then he was an exceptional actor.

Rush lifted a hand and rubbed at his head, throwing his hair into disarray. "I wish I knew," he said ruefully. "If I did, maybe I could get myself out again. I ducked into a cave to hide from some jhana, then ended up running from some spiders, and next thing I knew I'd managed to break this lamp thing--" He held up something in one hand, something that glowed in faint, fitful pulses. "I don't know how long I've been down here. Feels like I've been running for days, though."

His clothes were dusty enough to hold up the story, David noted as Rush took a few steps closer to the light. He also noted that they were not the clothes of a soldier, or a lord-- no, more likely those of some local lad hunting components, David decided, who had somehow fallen in over his head.

At his side, Torgal was slowly relaxing, muscles uncoiling from their ready stance; David took that to mean that his protective General had reached the same conclusion David himself had done. "You are fortunate we came along, then," David said to Rush. It was a miracle, in fact, that the young man had survived so long in this place, with little light and-- David checked Rush's belt, and his lips pressed thin-- without a weapon.

Rush laughed, the sound full of relief and weariness and self-deprecation. "Believe me, I know it. Uh-- I don't suppose you have any food?"

Moments later, David stood watching Rush slowly devour a packet of field rations, savouring each bite as though it were a feast from the palace kitchens. He was torn, seeing the young man's sorry state. David's sense of obligation said that they should escort Rush back to the surface, and point him safely home. But they had already come what had to be a full day's travel underground, and it would be a waste of that time to turn back now.

David blinked out of his thoughts and found Rush watching him, his dark eyes thoughtful. "You know," Rush said, after swallowing his last mouthful, "I could come with you. I mean, obviously you're here for something and not just lost, like me, so you won't want to turn around now. I could just, y'know, tag along until we get back outside again, I don't mind. I can fight," he added softly, "if I have to. If you've got a weapon I could borrow."

"Are you certain?" David asked, sorely tempted. "We will be some days down here, still. It will be dangerous. It is possible, by the end of it, that there will be no one left to see you to the surface again."

Rush shrugged. "Yeah, I know. But--" He looked around, waving a hand at the shadowed corners of the cavern. "The alternative is sitting here in the dark, or trying to get out by myself. I think my odds are still better with you."

Guiltily relieved, David nodded, accepting. Some searching of their spare equipment brought forth a short sword that had belonged to one of their fallen-- bad luck, that, but there was no other option if Rush was to be armed. They pushed on shortly thereafter, walking quickly to make up the lost time.

They descended broken stairs and all but crawled through low caves, passing several more enclaves of battered ruins. It took more time than David would have imagined, delving ever deeper towards the root of the mountain. They had to stop several more times in defensible corners to rest, sharing out their carefully rationed foodstores and taking shifts to sleep. They had brought as many provisions as it had been reasonable to carry, but still, if they didn't reach their goal before too much longer they would have to turn back anyway or risk starvation on the return trip. David dearly hoped it wouldn't come to that-- there would be no greater frustration than to come so far and have to give up when their goal might be just ahead.

True to his word, Rush proved to be a capable fighter. Not terribly graceful or adept at first, but quick to learn from his new allies and possessing a natural energy that carried him well on the battlefield. He also ended up being good help around the camp, and generally enjoyable company-- even Torgal, standoffish sovani that he was, warmed to him slightly.

David found himself rather charmed by Rush's easy smiles and open speech-- charmed, and intrigued.  Some of the courtesans of his father's court affected a certain naive innocence, but with Rush it was either more flawless a performance than David had ever seen or actually genuine.  On their fourth 'day' moving through the dark, David caught himself admiring the grace of Rush's shoulders and the fit of his trousers, and realized somewhat bemusedly that he wanted Rush.

Usually, what David wanted, he got.  It was interesting to find himself in the position of wanting someone with no need to pander to his authority, with someone he may actually enjoy spending time with outside of the bedchamber. It was a shame they had to meet in a place like this.

On their seventh 'day' beneath the earth, they passed between a pair of massive carven pillars and over a bridge that spanned what seemed a bottomless black chasm. The gates that lay on the bridge's far side were in better repair than any others they had seen, and opened with only a faint scrape at the pressure of David's hand.

The inner sanctum, beyond, was a massive chamber lit somehow through cracks in the stone above. The hints of grandeur that had clung to the ruins elsewhere were made whole in that place, carvings and fine stone inlays giving the empty chamber the dusty echo of its former splendour. It was, quite simply-- beautiful.

It was also empty.  No flash of light or looming monster appeared when David dared tread into the centre of the room; no traps triggered beneath his feet. When they searched the corners there were no hidden doors or passageways. There was nothing at all but shifting dust and echoing silence-- certainly no sign of the Remnant they had come there to find.

Disheartened, David ordered one final sweep of the room before reluctantly accepting the loss and ordering the start of their return journey.  Someone else may have come before them and bound the Remnant, or perhaps it was all just a legend to begin with. David could only hope it was the latter, even though that would make him the fool for chasing a tale-- the alternative meant that an unknowably powerful weapon was in the hands of his enemies, and that thought left him cold.

It was a grim and quiet party that began to work its way back to the surface. Cutting through the caverns' inhabitants was darkly satisfying at first, each strike easing a bit of the frustration that dogged their steps. But as time went on and the queue of creatures remained unending, it became tedium. The monsters around them seemed to sense their weariness, boiling out of hiding in ever greater numbers.

They stopped to rest in a sheltered alcove, shielded by the tumbled remains of walls. David let himself down against one of those walls, knowing he should sleep but feeling far too hyperalert to even close his eyes.

"Hey."

David glanced over as Rush settled down beside him, not quite an arm's length between them. "You okay?" Rush said quietly.

David smiled thinly, and didn't answer. "I suppose you've realized why we came here," he said eventually. "I wanted power enough to protect my people in the troubled times to come. I had hoped--" He left the words hanging, let out a heavy breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. "But it seems I have simply wasted my time, and endangered the lives of others in the process."

At that, Rush was silent for a long moment. When he spoke again, it wasn't what David expected. "What's your city like?"

David thought of Athlum-- of its broad streets and busy markets, of the garden his mother had tended for so many years, of the displays and parades that passed through the main square. He thought of it all, and found himself smiling as he described it to Rush. Found himself going beyond that, even-- trying to put into words his dreams for the city, his longing for independence and strength and a legacy that would bring safety to his citizens for years to come. Struck by an unexpected longing homesickness, there in the caves, he found himself trying to convey to Rush just why he loved his city as he did.

Rush was smiling softly by the time David ran out of words. "It sounds really ace," Rush said, looking wistful and oddly content. He glanced sidelong at David. "It'll be lucky to have a ruler like you."

David couldn't help but smile back at Rush, because while he'd heard those words before they had never been without the feel of empty flattery about them. Rush's voice was heavy with sincerity, with honest belief, and that was more warming than any pretty words.

And as Rush was sitting quite close, and looking at him with that softness in his eyes, David also couldn't quite help but reach up and touch his thumb to Rush's lower lip, feeling the firmness of the skin and the warmth of Rush's startled breath. But he didn't pull away, and when David dropped his hand there was the hint of a surprised smile around Rush's mouth.

Torgal quietly called the watch change and David pushed himself up to take his turn, leaving Rush sitting behind him. A brief, breathless laugh chased him away.

At long last, they began to pass through tunnels that were lit by filtered daylight, and Torgal's nose informed them that there was fresh air ahead. It was with weary relief that they recognized the outer gates that would lead them back to the plains outside.

David paused when Rush did, hesitating right on the threshold. Rush scuffed a foot in the loose rubble that lay in the doorframe, looking painfully uncertain with his shoulders curled and his eyes downcast. "Guess this is it, hunh?" he said, trying on a grin. "Thanks for, you know.  Letting me tag along."

David, who had been weighing his words and thinking of the possibilities for days, extended a hand in Rush's direction. "You're welcome to come with us to Athlum, if you like," he said. "You've proven yourself a valuable companion and ally, and I would be honoured if you found a place in my service. And--" He hesitated for only a moment, not being one typically given to doubt. "And I would certainly welcome the chance to come to know you further."

The expression of relief and happiness that bloomed across Rush's face was breathtaking. He took the hand that David had extended, and stepped with him over the threshold.

The hills around them erupted with snarls and hoots as they emerged-- the whine of arrows quickly followed as they dove for cover. Glancing out from his shelter, David's heart sank as he saw an entire tribe of jhana, apparently having made their camp right on top of the cave's entrance. Far too many for them to fight, even had they been fresh and not the better part of two weeks on the trail. David's mouth twisted-- there was something bitterly amusing in the fact that it was not Third Committee or any of their other enemies who would bring them down, but simple beastmen come along at exactly the wrong moment.  How humiliating.

Still, David thought fiercely, if they were to die it would be with all the bravery and dignity that Athlum could muster, not huddled like rabbits in their warren. He nodded gravely to Torgal, who had a blade in each of his four hands, then took one last lingering look at Rush and regretted, for the briefest of moments, the possibilities lost.

David took a deep breath and prepared to throw himself out into the line of fire.

A grunt from above was his only warning-- a jhana come over the rocks to face them from behind. It had its crude bow drawn, aimed right at him, and held that pose for the barest of seconds before it released. David watched, and time seemed to slow around him as the arrow winged straight for his eye--

And was immolated in green fire a hand's breadth from his face.

For a moment, David could barely breathe from the combined shock of it-- staring at the spot where the jhana used to be, where a flash of green had sent it flying, shattered into the rocks. It was Torgal's startled growl and the sudden sense of _absence_ at his side that made him look sidelong, made him track the flow of green light.

Rush was among the jhana, moving nearly too fast for the eye to follow, leaving destruction in his wake. His form was incandescent with energy; he didn't bother with his borrowed sword, but rather used his fists and feet in crushing strikes. The jhana had no chance-- in the end, Rush was left standing with wisps of green energy bleeding off his body and his eyes glowing like marshfire, with bodies at his feet and the living remains of the jhana tribe fleeing into the hills.

David stood frozen near the cave entrance while Rush turned to face them again, the green fire dying slowly from his frame, giving them a sheepish little smile and shrug. Somehow, it was only then that the truth occurred to David. He wondered, distantly, that no legend ever spoke of a Remnant that appeared mitra. He wondered at what being the strongest Remnant really meant, what it would mean for Athlum's defence.

He wondered if he had missed some sign, standing there at the gates to the underworld with Rush's hand in his, that Rush had been letting David bind him. If David looked for it, now, he could feel the connection-- similar to the presence of Kellendros in his mind, if the fire of the sun could be said similar to a candle.

Ruth had agreed to come to Athlum of his own free will.  It should have made David ecstatic-- and it did, no doubt about that, but it somehow also left his chest feeling rather tight. He had been looking forward to exploring his nascent attraction to Rush when they reached Athlum, but the situation seemed to have changed beyond all recognition. The demands of honour were clear, even if he may have wished otherwise.

Rush was still smiling, but it was a fading expression, growing strained and sad as he stood there looking nothing more than mitra again. He had his face turned up ever so slightly into the sun, and the light struck dark highlights from his hair and brought the faintest of golden glows to pale skin. "I was going to tell you," he said after the silence had stretched, his words quiet but carrying. "I just-- I guess I wanted to be sure I could trust you, first. Hadn't really planned on--" He waved his hand to the field and the remains of battle, even as his eyes dragged back to David. "Well. On any of this."

Rush had allowed himself to be bound, David made himself remember. He must have known what that would mean. David forced his feet out of their stillness, then, made himself walk forward until he was within arm's reach of Rush. "And can you?" he heard himself ask. "Trust us, that is."

Rush's smile was crooked, guardedly hopeful. "Think so, yeah."

"Good." David shifted his sword, and extended the freed hand to Rush again. He was rewarded by a brilliant, relieved smile and a firm handclasp, and a quickly blooming sense of wonder.


End file.
